Fire-escape.



P. UTHAYNBJ mm EsoABn. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 190B.

vPatented May 1,8, 1909.

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PATRICK OTHAYNE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE -ESGAPE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Serial No. 430,437.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK OTHAYNE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which the' following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire escapes and has for its object to provide a safe and efficient device for facilitating escape from burning buildings, which device is easily operated and controlled.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a sectional view of the building with my invention in operative position thereon and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views of ortions of the device.

My improved `re escape comprises a socket A preferably secured to the roofv of the building B near the edge of the same, into which projects the end of a bent supporting bar or davit O. The supporting bar O is provided with an enlargement O, which engages the upper portion of the socket A and serves as a bearing to permit the bar C to be rotated about its axis. The free end of the bar C has secured to it a cross-piece D with downwardly projecting lugs D which form bearings for a shaft E.

F is a drum having side members F and keyed on the shaft E so as to rotate therewith and to be slidable lengthwise thereof under Ycertain conditions, as will be more fully described hereinafter. A cord or rope G has its one end secured to the drum F and at its free end carries a basket G in which the person intending to descend sits. The drum F is further provided with a clutch member F2, which coperates with a mating member H, forming part of, or secured to the rotating A art of the motor l. This motor is mounted oosely on the shaft E and is supported by means of brackets l. The two clutch members F2 and H are periodically brought into and out of engagement with each other by means of the following mechanism: A bell crank lever is pivoted at J to a cross bar D2 secured to the lugs D and is provided with a slot in one of the members J2 through which the cord G passes. The other end of said lever J is forked and carries pins J3 which extend into the annular groove F3 of a member F4 which is secured to or forms part of one of the side members F of the drum F. The rope or cord G is provided with projections G3 and G4 which alternately engage the member J2 of the lever J to engage and disengage the clutch members F2 and H. A spring catch J4 is provided adjacent to the free end of the member J2 for the purpose of maintaining the clutch members F2 and H in their disengaged condition.

K is a disk securely mounted on the shaft E to rotate therewith, and K is a metal band partly surrounding said disk and having its ends pivotally secured to the lever K2 at K3 and K4. The metal band K is fastened at K5 to a bracket K6 forming part of or secured to one of the lugs D.

L is a cord or rope secured to the free end of the lever K and provided throughout its length with enlargements L', which may be simply knots or collars, as desired. This rope extends through a ring or eyelet G2 of the basket G and serves as a means for controlling the speed with which the basket descends, it being understood that as the rope L is pulled the lever K2 will cause the band K to be thrown into frictional engagement with or to clamp the disk K so as to act as a brake. This brake may be operated either by the person in the basket, or by some one on the ground, as may be found necessary, the rope L being long enough to reach from the lever K2 to the ground or side-walk.

K'7 is a spring for returning the parts just described to their normal position, or in other words, for loosening the brake band K after the cord L is released.

M is a coil spring surrounding the shaft E and having its one end in engagement with the member F4 and its other end in engagement with the disk K. The spring exerts a pressure on the said drum F in a direction toward the motor l. The motor l is connected in any suitable manner with a source of electrical energy, such as a battery B, which may be located at any convenient point.

Under normal conditions the apparatus is swung inward, that is with the free end of the bar C swung to the left in Fig. l and the basket G resting on the roof, the rope G being wound on the drum F and the brake cord L being coiled in the basket or on the roof, as desired. In the position of rest the clutch members H and F2 are disengaged from eachA other, or in other words, the drum F the opposite position from `that shown in Fig. 2 being held in this position by the catch J4'. 1n case of Alire the person intending to descend first closes a suitable switch to start the motor 1, which., it is to be understood, continuously runs in a direction to wind the rope on the drum. The person now enters the basket G after which the bar G is swung tol the position shown` in Fig; 1 either by the occupant of the basket or by a companion remaining on the roof. 1n this position the basket hangs clear of the wall of the buil-ding and is freeI to descend with. more or less speed,l according to the pulll exerted on the rope L and the consequent pressure of the brake K upon the disk K until the basket reaches the side-walk after which the occupant 'of the basket may step out. An instant beforethe basket reaches the side-walik or simultaneously therewith the projection ,G2

will engage the upper surface of the member J2 and will swing the forked end of the lever J to; the left in Fig. 2' and thus slide the drum F on. the shaft E until the clutch'members F2 H are brought into engagement with each other, the spring M serving to maintain the partsir-r tlris position. It is to beA understood that the pull exerted on theA` liever J by the projection Gf" is strong enough to disengage themember'J2 from the catchl J 4. The parts are now in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 withthe drum thrown into driving engagement Withth-e motor, which, as before stated, is rotating in a direction'. to rewind the rope G on the drum and thus raises the basket until the projection G3 oir the rope G is brought i-ntof engagement with the lower side of the member J2. As the motor' now continues to rotate' a pull in the opposite direction will be exerted on thev member J2 which will cause the forked end of the lever J tof be moved to the right in Fig. 2, thus sliding the drum along the shaft E toward the right and disengaging the clutchmembers F2 from the member HE. The member J is swun far enough upward to: permit the end of t ie catch J4 to? snap into the notch J 5 thus maintain theI parts with the clutch members disengaged. Y The movement ofthe supporting bar C' about its aXis'- is limited by the stop'- O2 abutting against a projecting portion of the socket A and if desired a li-andlfe @5* may be provided for facilitating the swinging of theI supporting bar into and out of operative position. lhe enlargements L. are provided for the purpose of preventing the rope L from running freely through the handsloft the personl using the device and' thus burning or tearing the flesh..

A cord N is secured to the member J2' and passes over apullfey N and reaches to the side-walk so that if desired the basket may be* stopped at any one of the Windows. Y 1n this case a pull is exerted on the cord N to swing the lever J and release the clutch memi bers from each other, in the same manner as 1 when the projection Gr3 engages the said member J2. The basket is then swung t0- I ward window and the person or persons descending in the same way as from the roof.

in some instances it may be desirable to have the support C fixed in the position shown in Fig. 1 instead of being rotatable about its aXis as shown and describe-d.

In Fig. 4 1 have shown a mechanism for throwing the clutch members H and F2 into engagement with each other manually in?- stead of `automaticallliy as shown in Figs. 1 and lin this form of my invention the shaft E serves merely as an axle and maybe fixed against rotation if desired, it being' understood that both the moving parts of the motor and the' drum F are mounted loosely thereon. The drum F is. provided with. a grooved member F3 intov which proj eet pins O of a fork. 0 forming' part of an operating liever 12. This operating lever P is pivoted at P to a support secured to the cross-piece D of tlire bar` t1 and is preferably bent and supplied with an operating handlfelocated near the roof, ina position to readily accessible. this form the clutch members are' thrown into and out of engagement with each other by swinging' the lever P on its pivot 1)', thus causing the drum to move on the aXle E. toward and away from the motor. This swinging of the lever is of course performed by some person remaining on the roof who when he wishes to descend simply disengages the clutch. members and enters the basket and descends in the marmer herein;- before described. 1f desired the support may be. used simply as a device from which to suspendl a rope which may be provided with a hook arranged to be hookedI into an eye in the end of the said support. This rope is tof be used: for descending hand over hand.

claim;-

l..` A lire escape comprising asupport, a shaft journaled onsaid support, driving mechanism and a rotatable drum mounted on said? shaft, oneY of said elements being' se'- cured to said shaft tof rotate therewith, mating clutch members: on. said driving' meclranism and said drum, means forv automatically moving one oi saidx elements lengthwise of the shaft to engage or disengagc said @hitch members andv a basket arranged to be raised or lowered as said drum rotates in one direction or the other.V

2. A fire escapey comprising a support, driving mechanism and a rotatable drum can ried by said support, one of sai-d elements being movable toward away from the other, mating clutcli` members on said driving mechanism and. said drum,- means for' au tomatifcal'ly shifting' said movable element bodily to engage or disengage said clutch members and a basket connected with said drum and arranged to be raised or lowered as the drum is rotated in one direction or the other.

3. A iire escape comprising a support arranged to swing about its axis, a rotatable drum mounted on said support, driving means for causing said drum to rotate in one direction, a device for moving said drum bodily to disengage it from said driving means to permit said drum to rotate freely in the opposite direction, means for shifting said drum bodily back into engagement with said driving means and a basket connected with said drum and arranged to be raised or lowered as the drum is rotated in one direction or the other.

4. A fire escape comprising a support arranged to swing about its axis, a shaft journaled on said support, a drum slidably mounted on said shaft, a clutch member on said drum, driving means loosely mounted on said shaft, a mating clutch member on said driving means, mechanism arranged to slide said drum lengthwise of said shaft to engage or disengage the two clutch members, a basket connected with said drum and arranged to be raised when the two clutch members are in engagement with each other, and which is free to descend the moment the clutch members are disengaged and a brake for controlling the speed of the basket as it descends.

5. A fire escape comprising a support, driving mechanism mounted on said support, a rotatable drum carried by said support and movable into and out of engagement with said driving mechanism, a bell crank lever ulcrumed on said support and connected with said drum, a rope secured to the drum so as to be wound on or unwound therefrom during rotation, a projection on said rope arranged to swing said bell crank lever to disengage said drum from said driving mechanism and a carrying device secured to the free end of said rope.

6. A lire escape comprising a support, driving mechanism mounted on said support, a rotatable drum carried by said support and movable into and out of engagement with said driving mechanism, a bell crank lever tulcrumed on said support and connected with said drum, a rope secured to the drum so as to be wound on or unwound therefrom during rotation, a projection on said rope arranged to swing said bell crank lever in one direction to disengage said drum from said driving mechanism, a second projection on said rope arranged to swing said bell crank lever in the other direction to rengage said drum and said driving mechanism and a carrying device secured to the free end of said rope.

7. A iire escape comprising a support, l

vdriving mechanism and a rotatable drum mounted on said support and arranged to be engaged with or disengaged from each other, means for disengaging and engaging the rotatablek drum and the driving mechanism,

a resilient catch for maintaining said drum and driving mechanism in their disengaged condition, means for releasing said catch, resilient means for forcing said drum and driving mechanism into engagement with each other when the catch is released and a carrying device secured to said drum.

9. A fire escape comprising a support, driving mechanism mounted on saidsupport, a rotatable drum carried by said support and movable into and out of engagement with said driving mechanism, a bell crank lever ulcrumed on said support and connected with said drum, arope extending to the sidewalk and secured to the free end of said lever for manually operating said lever to move said drum bodily to engage or disengage said drum and driving mechanism and a carrying device secured to said drum.

10. A iire escape comprising a support, driving mechanism and a rotatable drum mounted on said support in axial alinement with each other, one of said elements being movable relatively to the other in the direction of its axis to disengage or engage said elements, means for automatically moving said movable element to engage or disengage it from the other element and a carrying device secured to said drum.

1l. A ire escape comprising a support, driving mechanism and a rotatable drum mounted on said support in axial alinement with each other, one of said elements being movable relatively to the other in the direction of its axis to disengage or engage said elements, means for automatically moving said movable element to engage or disengage it from the other element, a brake for controlling the speed of the drum as it rotates and a carrying device secured to said drum.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 30th day of March, 1908.

PATRICK OTHAYNE. Witnesses:

JOHN A. KEHLENBEGK, JOHN Lo'rxA. 

